On the right track

Bill Dax left his high-powered job at Eurotunnel to run a Buckinghamshire gastro pub. One year on, turnover has more than trebled. John Harrington reports

Bill Dax's pace of life has changed considerably since he swapped the rat race of Eurotunnel for the calmer setting of the Palmer Arms, in Dorney, near Eton, Bucks.

"It's very good to have time to think and enjoy yourself," he says, adding with a grin: "And my golf is getting a bit better."

Dax can afford time off as the day-to-day running of the food-led pub is in the hands of his daughter, Elizabeth, with his role being marketing consultant/financial manager.

The Dax family's approach ­ which included transforming the venue from a traditional village inn to a modern gastro pub ­ has clearly worked. Turnover has more than trebled since they took on the 14-year Greene King lease in September 2003.

The family decided to have a stab at running the 15th-century inn after Dax was forced into early retirement from his job as managing director of shuttled services at Eurotunnel. Having lived in Dorney for around 30 years, he had seen the fortunes of the pub rise and fall. "The Palmer Arms has had its ups and downs ­ I guess more downs than ups in terms of business," he says. "It's had a variety of people trying to run it, and often my wife (Jill) and I would go to dinner parties and people would say it's a pity someone doesn't take over the pub and do something with it."

After making considerable changes to the décor, the focus turned to food.

"There are pubs all around the area so you have to create something that's different," Dax explains. "The food offer was something that we knew could be the real winner here."

The pub's menu, created by chef Giles Dickinson, is English with a twist; traditional English dishes with Mediterranean and North African influences.

Dishes on the menu include warm salad of corned beef fritters and quails' eggs with spicy tomato dressing (£4.50); seared Cornish scallops with lemon, capers and sage (£7.50); and pan-fried salmon with braised Puy lentils, garlic mash and red wine jus (£13). Menus change daily.

"Wherever we can, we add little things that people wouldn't expect," says Dax.

The bestsellers are Palmer Platters, such as the Palmer Antipasto and Smoked platters. Set meals are also offered; there is a set lunch menu for £10 (two courses) or £13 (three courses).

Much of the pub's produce comes from local producers, usually sourced through a wholesaler in nearby Reading. Although this can be more costly, it guarantees that the pub can get what it wants when it wants it, Dax says.

Meals vary in price from around £5 to £15 and reflect the pub's diverse range of customers:locals who want a traditional, good-quality pub meal; parents from nearby Eton College; and workers from the Slough Trading Estate, made famous as the location for the BBC2 sitcom The Office.

Food sales are booming, but Dax is adamant that the Palmer Arms does not abandon its roots as a drinking pub; wet and dry sales are currently split 45:55 in favour of food, and the aim is to reach 40:60.

"We have a large group of regulars who come in, have a drink and go home. I think a number of gastro pubs have felt they should just be a restaurant. Certainly for us, that wouldn't have worked. We wouldn't get the support from the community."

The pub's beer sales are also healthy, with Greene King IPA being a particularly big seller. The wine list features about 40 wines, and an additional 10 fine wines that cost up to £155.

Dax emphasises his dedication to customerservice, a trait he developed during his time at Eurotunnel. He asks customers to email their comments about their visit to the pub, and employs mystery shoppers to check that service standards are kept high.

"People don't go out purely for the food, as long as it's of a certain quality," says Dax. "They care much more about customer service and the surroundings. Food is one of those [important] things ­ but only one."

Dax has high hopes for the future. Latest developments at the pub, which were completed this month, saw a heated marquee erected on the back terrace, providing space for an extra 30 or 40 diners.

Dax aims to break even this year and get into profit in 2005. What happens after that depends on their individual intentions. "Let's make a profit first then we will take a view on this," he says.

"We are real babes in this business at the moment. It's a long-term investment and we love it. We really love it."